My first target is the swin as the standard event I'm looking at has a cutoff of 50 mins for the 1500m ow swim ! I have already started a swim class as my swimming is pants !! I have done one marathon (4:26) and think I could slogg through the bike so the swim is the REALLY weak bit.

1 Learn to swim; swimming is technical not just endurance; you'll make bigger gains by improving your technique than by improving your swim fitness2 Bike a lot; cycling is important both as the secnd discipline and as the bit that gets you to the run without being too knackered to put one foot in front of the other3 Run a fair bit, including practising running after cycling, especially as event day draws near4 Sign up for an IM instead of a half

Sounds like a very typical approach to tri, coming in from a running background.

Starting with the swim classes this early on will make a whole lot of difference, just get the technique right as the Hamster says and the swim fitness is something to look at next year. Some of us have gone from unable to swim to IM in nine months of less, it's definitely do-able

Nooo! You should definitely follow a structured training plan! If you don't know which zone you are in for any particular session, it will give you zero benefit. I mean, imagine if you were supposed to be running in zone 4, but you were actually in zone delta 5 rhesus monkey tennis negative? It would be disastrous! You MUST also read a magazine called "220 triathlon". It looks like a complete bag of sh*t to the untrained eye, but actually that's just a ruse to fool the uninitiated - the pages are secretly glossed with snake oil, which you absorb through your fingertips as you read. Genius! Good look with it all.

On the other hand, you could just follow Barlos' advice. Probably will give the same results.

If you need some guidance in terms of structure but don't want to get to techy why not use a programmes (e.g from beginnertriathlon.com or is it beginnertriathlete.com?) but as a guide but do rough estimates of effort level.

You're not moses getting the ten commandments programmes can be adapted to suit you.

nope - you don't NEED high tech - many can wing it on the swim a bit/ride a lot/run a lot principle. but if your goals are to win or place than you probably need a more scientific approach and proper coaching

FB, that sounds like the sort of training plan that even I could follow...

Previously bookmarked threads are now visible in "Followed Threads". You can also manage notifications on these threads from the "Forum Settings" section of your profile settings page to prevent being sent an email when a reply is made.